The board met at an army club in the compound of the 1st Infantry Regiment on Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd in Bangkok this morning.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon chaired the meeting. He is the vice chairman of the police board while Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was absent today, is the chairman.
Pol Gen Chakthip is the least senior among the five deputy police chiefs.
Earlier, Pol Gen Ek Angsananond, the most senior among the deputies, was also tipped as the other candidate. Pol Gen Ek is well respected for his interrogation skills and his most recent achievement is cracking the Rohingya case this year.
Pol Gen Ek also attended the same school as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and is a classmate of the premier's brother Gen Preecha Chan-o-cha, an army chief candidate. He graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University's Law Faculty. After he received the bar he completed a law master's degree at Chulalongkorn University.
Pol Gen Chakthip, who retires in 2020, reportedly has an edge because of his reputation as a top detective. He has experience handling protest mobs and good relations with various circles.
The new police chief was in Class 20 of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, the training ground for both policemen and soldiers, so he has close connections with key military officers. He completed a master's degree from Kentucky State University in the US.
Besides, Pol Gen Chakthip supervised security affairs in relation to political demonstrations and violence in southern border provinces, and worked closely with Gen Prawit and key military figures who supported his promotion, said a source.
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